Jane Austen is a Badger
by FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings
Summary: A Sequel to More Fine Carriages, although it can stand on its own. Emma Hudson is going to a Big-10 college, ready for adventures and freedom. Join a whole cast of Austen’s beloved characters as they come out to play in a modern mix of everything Jane.
1. Prolouge: If you want be a Badger

Jane Austen is a Badger

Summary: A Sequel to More Fine Carriages, although it can stand independently on its own. Emma Hudson is going to a Big-10 college ready for adventures and freedom. Join a whole cast of Austen's beloved characters as they come out to play in a modern mix of everything Jane.

* * *

Quick note: Addie and Jake Hudson are based off of Elizabeth and Darcy. The setting of this story is UW Madison in Wisconsin, the mascot being Bucky Badger. Woo Woo!

* * *

PROLOUGE - If you want to be a Badger....

Emma was well aware of the fact that she had her father wrapped around her little finger. There wasn't much that Jake Hudson wouldn't do for his only little girl. Her mother, however, was a different story altogether. And it looked like that was who she was going to be dealing with.

But don't get it wrong. Emma was never one to be afraid of a little challenge; with four older brothers, she had learned very quickly how to be tough. And how to quickly run away.

And now, at the age of eight, she wasn't about to back down. She was willing to put it all on the line. After all, Christmas was only four months away.

"Mom," Emma began, little arms folded directly in front of her, her stance straight.

Her mother turned away from the laundry she was separating to look at her youngest child. "Yes, Emma?" she asked, as she shoved some curls out of her face, curls that Emma had also inherited, much to the little girl's displeasure.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking, and well, I think since I'm eight and all, I'm big enough to have a pet." Emma's face was grave, and Addie could see her resemblance to her father. Addie struggled to fight off a smile. Ever since her eighth birthday, Emma had determined that she was 'all grown' and 'would be a woman in no time'.

"Well, love, puppies are a lot of responsibility," Addie said softly.

Emma visibly blanched. "I don't want a puppy!"

Addie was shocked. "What's wrong with dogs?"

"_Everybody_ has dogs." Emma looked so upset by her mother's guess, that Addie cracked a smile.

"Alright, peanut. What _do _you want then?"

Addie was thinking along the lines of the following; a kitten, bird, or maybe even a mouse.

Instead Emma reached into her pocket excitedly, pulling out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it rather quickly with her nimble little fingers and exclaimed quite proudly "I want THIS!" as she displayed the image for her mother to see.

It was a picture of a badger.

Addie had busted out laughing.

The memory was playing through Adeline Marie Hudson's mind as she set down the last cardboard box from the truck. A little bit of blanket was sticking out of the top of the box, and she could see Bucky Badger staring up at her. Today was the day that her last child and only daughter left the nest to begin a whole new life of her own. While Addie was never one to be extremely sentimental, she was feeling quite a lot. Mostly, she felt old.

To think she was nearing 53. She snorted. At least she still looked young. She thanked Fanny now daily for the good genes she had passed along. Her father, sadly, was no longer there to be thanked, but he remained alive in memory.

To be quite honest, Addie was looking forward to having the house completely empty and to being alone with her husband. They had already made all sorts of plans, mostly falling under the categories of renovation and travel, but there were a few random things that Addie still wanted to do.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Emma barging rather loudly through the dorm room door.

"We almost forgot the other bin of shoes!" Emma cried, placing the pink bin on the floor near one of the closets.

"That certainly would have been a tradgedy," Jake commented, smirking as he entered the room.

Addie laughed. "Hey now, a girl needs her shoes."

"Yeah dad," Emma retorted. "They are _vital_."

"So what now Em? Do you want me fix up that TV in the corner?"

Emma bit her lip, and Addie knew the expression in an instant. Call it a mother's instinct, but everything told her that Emma would be just fine setting up her room on her own. In fact, judging by Emma's expression, she was more than ready for her parent's departure. Addie wasn't offended. She could still remember feeling exactly the same way when she was a freshman. She had been so excited, ready to be on her own.

"Actually, sweetie, she should probably wait until her roommate gets here. They need to decide the layout together," Addie commented, sharing a knowing look with Emma. She was already sensing that Jake was going to have a hard time leaving his little girl. He hadn't had any problems with the boys, but Addie knew that Emma was different.

Jake looked a little disappointed, but recovered quickly. "I forgot about the roommate. Hopefully she can fit all of her stuff in here too… you've got so much."

Emma giggled, while Addie made a move to grab her purse.

"I think we should probably be off then, Jake. I'm sure Emma wants to head off and meet some people from her hall."

Jake nodded, although he didn't look very happy about it.

The goodbyes were tearless, but still heartfelt. Embraces and kisses were exchanged, as well as an envelope full of money and an emergency credit card from Jake when Addie wasn't looking, who whispered in his daughter's ear, "Don't tell your brothers."

"You better stay in touch, hon," Addie said as they were heading out.

"I'll call every Tuesday just like I promised."

"Only Tuesdays?" Jake blanched.

"Jake, let her be. Once a week is fine. She's going to be busy."

More hugs were exchanged, as were tidbits of advice from Jake which consisted of 'Don't walk by yourself _anywhere_' and 'study hard'.

When they finally left, Emma let a out sigh.

She knew she was letting an old part of her go, a part that she would miss, but at the same time she was so excited to find this new part. She had always loved her parents, but she was so excited to finally be her own person. She hadn't been stifled growing up, but she hadn't really been free either. All of that was now about to change.

She shoved some boxes to the side of the room that she was going to officially declare hers. She knew that she should probably wait for her roommate, but patience had never been Emma's strong point. She got that from her mother.

However, the truth must be told; she had also gotten a bit of arrogance from her father. It was hard not to be a little big-headed. She had a huge loving family, an attorney father, and a famous authoress for a mother. Emma knew she was kind of a big deal.

But college has a way of humbling people and rest assured Emma was not going to be excluded from this rather funny rule.

Those thoughts were far from Emma's mind however. She simply couldn't stop smiling. She crossed the room to look out the window. Madison, WI was sprawled out before her. She had finally arrived. She was finally a Badger.


	2. Chapter 1: Come along with me

Jane Asten is a Badger

Chapter 1: Just Come Along with Me

Disclaimer: This stuff is not mine. Although I desperately wish I owned Mr. Darcy.

AN: So as a warning, I am going to be switching person-views like crazy. This story is going to focus on multiple characters so I want to try out different viewpoints. Just keep in mind that this is my practice. So if you think a particular section is weak, please tell me. I'm doing this to get better.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this second installment.

* * *

(ED)

I was busy moving some of Elena's stuff up from her Neon when my phone started ringing. I fumbled with the box, trying to get my hand in my back pocket. After some shifting and impressive maneuvering, I finally got the little bastard only to see that my older brother John was calling.

Now those of you may not understand why I considered the fact that maybe I was in some sort of alternate universe. I don't think I have ever received a phone call from John. Sure, I've talked to him. But he's never called me. I felt a lump rise in my throat. There was no way this could be good.

I pressed the button and answered casually, "Hey John."

"_Hey Ed_," came the reply. He sounded drunk. I checked my watch. It was only eleven. But then again it probably wasn't the first time John was smeared before noon.

"What's up?" I asked, pressing my shoulder up to hold the phone to my ear, and trying to open the door to the apartment building while I held the box in one hand.

"Oh _not too much. Did you see that Michigan beat Ohio State last nigh_t?"

My stomach dropped. John wasn't the sort of guy to beat around the bush. So why the fuck had he called to chat about sports? I knew that there had to be something a bit bigger on his mind, or else he never would have called. But it looked like he was just going to take his precious time getting to the point. So I answered, regardless. "Nope, I had to take Elena and her parents out for dinner."

"_Oh, yeah? Had to, huh_?"

I laughed. He had no idea what Elena was capable of. Sure she was tiny and adorable, but she was ridiculously feisty and got angry all the time for the stupidest things. I knew I had made a good impression on her parents though, and that had pacified her for the time being.

"You'll see when you finally get a girlfriend," I said climbing the one set of stairs. Thank God we were only on the second floor.

"_I'll pass actually. A lot more trouble than they're worth_." I wasn't surprised. John had always had that sort of attitude. Not just about girls either; it was applied to just about everything.

I decided just to let the silence fall, thereby forcing him to come out with it, as I put the box down in the hall in front of apartment 204 to begin searching my pockets for the keys.

My strategy was rewarded.

"So _did you know that mom and dad moved Emma in today_?"

"Yep."

"_I can't believe she's a freshman already. I mean, Jesus fuck. I know she's only two years younger than me but… damn."_

I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. Instead, I opened my apartment door, grabbed the box, and walked in. John didn't seem to mind my silence this time though.

"_Do you think… I mean, shouldn't we be… watching over her?"_

I snorted. It was comical that John out of all of us was the one who was having these concerns. John, the coarse, sarcastic party animal was suddenly interested in protecting his younger sister. The irony was beautiful.

"Uh, sounds good but I think you are missing something vital… none of us go to Madison. It might be a little hard for us to watch out for her don't you think? Besides, she'll be fine. She's eighteen."

John was having none of that. "_Emma acts like she's fifteen. Do you __**r**__emember__ freshman year_?"

I struggled to find some memories of my first year at Drake. I had a few flashes, but nothing too concrete. In my defense, it was three years ago.

"Um, not really," I answered somewhat sheepishly. I had a feeling I knew where he was going to go with this.

"_Exactly my point. I don't remember much of it all… because I was unconscious for most of it."_

I sort of got where he was coming from at this point in time. Freshmen year was fun; but if I remembered correctly it consisted of a lot of drunken hook-ups (not on my part, just in general) and keggers. Suddenly, I was very uncomfortable with the idea of my little sister in any environment where such behavior was promoted.

"_Do_ _you still talk to Dan Knigh_t_ley_?" John then asked, changing gears. The question threw me until I made the connection. We had grown up with Dan Knightley; he had been my best friend all throughout high school, and although we had grown apart just because of the distance, I still considered him a good friend. More importantly though, Dan was currently a senior at UW-Madison.

"Yeah, we keep in touch," I said as I set the box down in the bedroom. Elena, who was putting away her clothes, rewarded me with a smile and mouthed 'Who is it?' I mouthed back 'John' and could see surprise on her face.

I left the room, making my way through the kitchen to grab some milk from the fridge.

"_Well maybe… since none of us are there, we can… I don't know, ask him to watch out for her? She was practically his little sister too,"_ John replied.

I now fully understood the point of John's phone call.

"So you want me to ask Knightley to babysit Emma?"

"_Babysit isn't the word I would choose… but… I guess_."

"You do realize how pissed off this would make Emma right?"

"Well_, she's not going to know. Knightley should be friendly… and watch out for creeps. You know, do_ _what we would do if we were there_."

I knew Knightley would do it if I asked him; he was that sort of person. Still I wasn't sure I was really comfortable with the whole idea. It was like John to rush into things, but it wasn't my character. I didn't act on whims. Everything was calculated, planned; that's why I'm an engineering student.

"Well, I'll ask him," I relented.

"_Good._ _He'll do it. Like I said, he was practically her brother anyway_."

After we hung up, I turned on the TV and settled for the Game Show Network just as Elena was walking out of the door. Her hair was flattened, and her make-up was already applied and I found myself (not for the first time) wishing she had just left her hair wavy and face make-up less. She was so much more in her natural state although she would never listen.

"So what did John want? Bail?"

I smirked, as Family Feud came on the screen.

"Actually no. He wants me to get Emma a babysitter while she's away at school."

Elena stopped and stared at me. "You're kidding."

I shook my head. "No, he wants me to ask Dan Knightley to watch out for her this year."

"Well I'm just glad you have enough sense not to," Elena continued, making her way to the pantry to get out some bread. "I'm making grilled cheese, want one?"

"Wait, you think it's a bad idea?" I said tearing my attention away from Bob Barker.

"Um, yes," Elena said as she retrieved a pan from one of the many boxes on the floor. "Don't tell me that you are actually considering it."

"I was actually."

"Why?" Elena cut out. "She's eighteen for fuck's sake. She can take care of herself. You and John need to leave that poor girl alone. She needs to grow up on her own."

I could feel my anger rising but I kept it under control. I very rarely lost my temper. Instead, I decided to try John's tactic. "Do you remember your freshman year?"

Elena put her hands on her hips. "Yes, as a matter of fact. It was awesome because I was finally on my _own_. "

"It's not even like that."

"You can't shelter her, Eddie."

I grimaced at the nickname. I hated when she did that and she _knew_ it drove me nuts. A part of me wanted to tell her that she couldn't possibly understand because she never had any siblings but I resisted. And even though I knew the plan had its obvious fallbacks, I wasn't going to listen to her. It would be nice to have Knightley there, just making sure Emma didn't get into too much trouble… Emma would still be able to do what she wanted, when she wanted to. There would just be a little reassurance that someone would always have her back. And keep the guys with less than honorable intentions away. It's not like it was the worst idea ever like Elena had made it out to be. I just fumed silently while Elena continued to make her grilled cheese. As soon as she left to unpack stuff in the bedroom, I called Knightley's cell.

* * *

(LENNIE)

I was seriously pissed and I could tell that Marie didn't know quite how to handle my reaction. I was rarely this angry, so I could understand her confusion. But really, what on earth was she expecting?

We had left 2 HOURS behind my original schedule. I had wanted to get settled in, to meet everyone and a certain someone in particular, but Marie had forgotten to pack a few things that she just could NOT leave without. So I had had to wait, helping her comb through her room trying to find her soundtrack to Hairspray.

"I swear, Lennie. It was right on my nightstand last night before I went to sleep."

I didn't react, even though I would have liked to. At that point in time, I was still calm, sensible Lennie. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find it," I reassured her with a small smile.

Two hours later, the CD was found in her purse… which had already been in my car. At that point in time, I was furious.

"I'm really sorry, Len," Marie said timidly. We were finally in the car, me behind the wheel cruising as fast as the posted speed limit. I wouldn't dare to go over it. In spite of it all, I could feel myself giving in already. Yeah, I am a giant push-over. But only when it comes to Marie. I think it's probably got something to do with the fact that I practically raised her. And if you think I am exaggerating, you are very mistaken.

Our mother was a lawyer. She was harsh, a bit unfeeling, and much too busy to ever bother herself with her two daughters. Our father had long since abandoned all of us, something that my mother apparently just couldn't get over. She never spoke of him; my grandmother was the only reason I knew he existed.

Marie talked about him all the time, something I wasn't too particularly fond of myself. She liked to dream up scenes where he would come back to mom, and somehow we'd all be a happy family. I think it's pretty easy to see why I feel like Marie's mother. The girls got one of the wildest imaginations I have dealt with and very often needs a dose of harsh reality. But Marie is the sweetest girl ever, even if a bit overwhelming at times. I would do anything to protect her.

Unfortunately, she had lived with my grandmother over the previous year while I had been away at school, and it seemed as though her dreams and fantasies had only become more pronounced. It should have been the other way around, but I wasn't sure if it was actually possible for Marie to grow up. She just doesn't do the whole responsibility thing. Maybe because she's always had me or granny to do it for her.

"Seriously, Lennie. I'm such a tard. Forgive me?" She asked again sweetly, showing of her dimples. I could tell my lack of response was really bothering her.

I sighed heavily. "Alright, alright. Just be quiet so I can enjoy the drive in peace."

Marie smiled hugely, and turned on the radio. "Oh! I love this song!" she squealed with delight. I hardly found that surprising. Marie loved _every _song. She began dancing and I could only think to myself that it was going to be a very, very long year.

* * *

(EMMA)

I was bored. I had unpacked all of my belongings and had organized everything perfectly to my taste. Overall it was perfect. I couldn't help but admire my side of the room. The other side however was drab, seeing as my roommate had yet to make an appearance. I had originally planned on waiting to set up my side of room, but quickly lost my patience shortly after my parents left. Really, what else was I supposed to do? Besides, you snooze, you lose, right? Right. I didn't want to wait for Eleanor Prince.

Yes, that is my roommate's name. Isn't it dreadful? When I got the letter in the mail, I almost cried. Firstly, she sounded like she was eighty. Who names their daughter Eleanor in this day and age? My mom, of course, insisted that it must be a family name, and that it was elegant, but I didn't buy it. I immediately had this horrible image of some geeky, fashion-less girl with missing teeth. I had been even more horrified when she had called me after we got our letters with the roommate information and told me that she was a sophomore.

A sophomore? Meaning she had already been at college for a year. Why wasn't she living with one of the friends that she had made over the previous year? And that was when it hit me. I was going to be living with the friendless, geeky, and toothless sophomore named Eleanor Prince.

I was still praying that I was wrong, still hoping Eleanor will turn out to be something close to normal. Hell, I'd even settle for a few shades shy of normal… but anything too weird and I was switching roommates sooner than you could say monkey's uncle.

Instead of being antisocial in my cramped dorm room, I decided that maybe it was time to meet the other girls on my hall. I didn't really didn't have much else to do, and that was really what college was all about anyway. I checked my reflection in the mirror that was hanging on the door. I was only rocking sweats and a t-shirt, but overall, I looked decent enough. I practiced my winning smile in the reflection. Beautiful.

Satisfied with my appearance, I set out, settling on the door directly across from my own. I knocked, and the door opened almost immediately to reveal a girl slightly shorter than me with short, frizzy black hair and giant, doe-like eyes.

"Hi! I'm Emma, I live in 4302." I stuck my hand out as way of introduction.

The girl smiled meekly and grasped my hand. "I'm Kelsey. " Her voice was soft, smooth like silk between your fingers. I immediately loved it, and liked her by extension. It was then that I noticed her collection of drawings that were posted on the wall, directly above one of the beds.

"Ohmigod, did you draw those?" I demanded pointing to the various sketches. Kelsey smiled and nodded as she stepped aside so as to give me way to enter the room. I smiled at the gesture and walked through the doorway, eagerly getting closer to the pictures.

"They are amazing!" And they were too. One of them, a sketch clearly of Kelsey and a friend, showed the two girls laughing on the beach. It looked like a photograph.

"I wish I was even a little bit artistic," I said in awe. "I am so jealous."

Kelsey just gave a modest thank you as a response. I could already tell that we were going to be great friends.

"So are you majoring in art?" I pressed.

"Um, I am not sure yet actually. I was thinking about it. But there's not much that you can do with an art degree. What about you? Know what you are doing with the rest of your life?"

I chuckled. "I haven't the slightest. That's what I am here for I guess. So Kelsey, where do you hail from?"

But before Kelsey could get out a response, two girls appeared in her doorway. One was short and adorable, with a full head of curly blonde hair and a figure that even I was envious of. The other was much taller than your average girl and thicker too, with straight blonde hair and black eyes. She wasn't nearly as pretty as the shorter girl. They were both carrying a ridiculous amount of bags and cases, and eagerly set them down in a flash before we could offer much of a greeting.

"Hi! I'm Marie," the shorter one said brightly. Her dimples stood out for miles. "Are you Kelsey?" she asked, looking directly at me.

I didn't have to clarify; Kelsey actually spoke up. "No, I'm Kelsey. This is Emma."

"Emma?" the taller one questioned, dark eyes curious.

"That's me," I said unsurely.

She brightened. "Room 4302?" And with my nod she continued, "I'm Eleanor, your roommate. But please for the love of God call me Lennie."

I almost laughed. So she was not at ALL what I had been expecting. But I could she was a bit reserved, just by the way she stood now, unconsciously with her hands crossed on front of her. I couldn't help but wonder just what exactly this year would bring me.

* * *

After the Dash sisters were moved into their respective rooms, the real adventure began.

It was evident almost from the beginning that each set of girls had been paired to live with their total opposite.

Kelsey's first clue had been when Marie had gushed non-stop about Swedish fish. By the time her five minute rant was over, Kelsey found herself exhausted. The bubbly blonde was nearly impossible to keep up with. However, Kelsey very quickly realized that she didn't even need to. Marie didn't need a response from her listener; she would continue gabbing, oblivious to whether or not you were actually listening to her.

"I am just so excited to be here! Can you believe that we are actually old enough to be in college?" Marie all but squealed. "I feel so mature already!"

Kelsey just nodded, already preferring Emma's company to that of her roommates. At least Emma wasn't so high pitched… or so blonde. Kelsey had never been overly particularly fond of blondes. She had bad past experiences with bimbos in her high school, and to be fair, that is enough to turn anyone off.

Lennie wasn't nearly as squeaky as her sister. In fact, Lennie was downright boring as she unpacked her things slowly and methodically. Emma couldn't truly understand the preciseness that Lennie possessed and found herself wondering if her new roommate had a mild case of OCD. Emma understood the desire to have a photo set straight, but readjusting over ten times just so that it was perfectly centered was a bit too hard core by Emma's standards.

Emma knew that such would be her luck. Messy, crazy, forever-late Emma West living with a girl who made her bed every morning and counted each brush stroke as she brushed her teeth. The horrors and irony of it all was way too much.

Lennie on the other hand was already quite taken with Emma. However, if one is to be honest, this was mainly because of Emma's parentage. Lennie had adored Emma's mother since the eighth grade when she had read Adeline West's best-selling novel, _Third Fall from the Ground_. She had been ecstatic when she had first received her letter with her roommate's information on it and had googled 'Emma West' immediately, hardly believing her luck. After she found an online bio on Adeline, it was all confirmed. Emma was her youngest child. It was almost too good to be true… living with the famous authors' daughter. It now would be almost impossible not to meet her hero.

It had been the reason why Lennie had so desperately wanted to be early. Surely, Adeline West would have helped her daughter move in; most mothers did, unlike Lennie and Marie's. It would have been the perfect opportunity to meet her idol. But of course, Marie shattered that dream. It was a good thing that Lennie had long ago learned the principle of never giving up, and was already trying to figure out another way to come face to face with Adeline West.

"So you're from Milwaukee?" Emma asked as she lay on her stomach on her bed, lilting through a magazine, waiting until the dining hall would open for dinner. It was only 3:30 and the dining hall didn't open until 5:00. She was naturally starving and already cursing life in the dorms.

"Yep," Lennie confirmed. "Well outside of Milwaukee. But close enough. I didn't actually grow up in the city."

"Yeah me either. We lived in the middle of the country. That's going to be the weirdest part about all of this," Emma said, referring to the campus in general. "Not that Madison is a metropolis or anything… just a bit of a different environment."

"And you are from Rhode Island… I remember that from the telephone call," Lennie said softly before she let out a little laugh. "All my friends were concerned that I would be living with a coastie."

"Coastie?" Emma demanded as she turned the page of Cosmo only to reveal a list 40 things that you should try to spice up your sex life. Emma had almost said 'friends?' instead, but luckily caught herself in time. Looked she was completely wrong about Lennie.

Lennie just laughed. "Coastie… it's just a stereotype. Most people that are from the coast that go to this school are extremely stupid. Most of them have daddy's money and instead of brains, they have north faces and uggs. But again, it's a gross generalization."

"Great," Emma let out. That was the last thing she needed.

"Oh don't worry. I never would have guessed you are a coastie."

"Really?"

"Really. You aren't orange from fake tanning and you aren't even wearing tights. You are officially a sconnie-look-alike."

"And sconnies are?"

"True Wisconsinites like myself."

Emma couldn't help but smile; she was learning already. "I so am glad you know all of this stuff. I had no idea there was so much stuff to know."

Lennie just gave her roommate a motherly look and continued to fold her socks and place them neatly into her drawer. Then she said a little belatedly, "Well if you ever need help, you know who to call."

And without missing a beat, Emma all but screamed, "GHOST BUSTERS!"

Lennie laughed and Emma felt much better about the prospects of the year. Even though Lennie seemed a little too uptight for Emma's rather gregarious spirit, it seemed as though she did have some sense of humor.

"So tell me about you," Emma suddenly demanded as she rolled over to check the clock. 3:35. Damn. Her stomach growled.

Lennie faltered for a minute. "What do you mean?"

Emma was all smiles; Lennie was a bit awkward and it was kind of entertaining. "I don't know. We're supposed to bond here, Lennie! Loosen up."

Lennie let out a smile, as she returned to her work. "I guess… there just isn't much to say about me."

Emma was not going to let her off that easily. In fact, Emma was already formulating a plan in her pretty little head. Between Lennie and Kelsey, it looked like the two girls were in desperate need of some heavy socialization. They were just too quiet; Emma was determined to get them to loosen up by the end of the year… and if she had to resort to heavy amounts of hard liquor to do it, she would.

"I don't believe you, Eleanor," Emma smirked, wondering if she could get a rise out of Lennie by using her full name.

Lennie's dark eyes certainly did seem to blacken even more, something that Emma hadn't believed possible, but Lennie said nothing, disappointing Emma by no small amount. It looked like Lennie wasn't the type of person to let her emotions show… funny when Emma had gotten the exact opposite impression from her younger sister.

It was then, at 3:38, (Emma was still diligently watching the clock) that Emma's blackberry belted out the Beatles.

But it was when she read the caller ID that her mouth dropped open; it was Dan Knightley.

Dan was three years older than Emma and had been Ed's best friend in high school. He had been nerdy back then, and a bit gangly, but easily the nicest out of all of the other guys Ed had hung out with. He had driven her, Ed, and John to school when Ed had destroyed his car. But that was Emma's last interaction with Dan Knightley. In fact, she had completely forgotten about him and couldn't believe his number was still programmed in her phone.

She was torn between letting it go to voicemail and answering it. She was just so unsure as what to say. His reasons for calling her were completely lost on her. Eventually, curiosity got the better of her, and she clicked the talk button at the very last possible second. She saw Lennie throw her a concerned motherly look, but ignored it. She had to focus her attention on what was at hand.

"Hello?" Emma answered, trying to sound as confident as possible. There was no way she was going to let Knightley know how much this was all wigging her out.

"_Emma?"_ came a deep voice. It was somewhat familiar.

"This is she."

"_Oh good_," Dan sighed. "_I wasn't sure I had the right number. This is Dan Knightley… Ed's friend from high school._"

"Oh… hi Dan," Emma feigned surprise.

"_Hey. I know this is all pretty random, but I heard you are going to Madison this year. Just wanted to extend the welcome._"

That was when it clicked in Emma's confused mind. Dan went to Madison too. Clearly this phone call was just some sort of welcoming. It was actually really nice on Dan's part, and Emma felt herself relax.

"Oh thanks! I completely forgot that you went here. You're a senior right?"

"_Right you are. And you're a freshman…_"

"You make it sound like the worst thing in the world."

"Well_, Em, it sort of is_."

"I disagree. I'm having the time of my life already," Emma lied. In all honesty she was starving and a bit bored.

Dan laughed and for some reason Emma felt very good about that fact.

"_So knowing that you take after John, I'm sure you've got a whole bunch of parties that you're attending tonight_," Dan said.

Now the truth of course was that sadly, Emma had only met a total of three people. This of course was unacceptable and certainly wasn't information that she was going to willingly share. So she did what any normal eighteen year old girl would do. She lied.

"Yeah, I think I'll go to a few. I met a boy named Ross earlier today who's having a kegger. I'm pretty excited to go, first college party and everything."

Now Ross was merely a figment of Emma's imagination, but poor Dan Knightley had no idea. He was startled by Emma's response. He had expected her to reply negatively – freshmen normally never had anywhere to go the first week unless they knew older students.

He had immediately agreed to help Ed out and look out for Emma. He could still remember her as a loud freshman. She hadn't been very cute, but she had had a nice pair of legs even then and he knew that the guys here wouldn't wait long to jump on that. But Emma was too young for all of that nonsense… too young and way too naïve. Knowing that her brothers surely wouldn't want her to go this Ross character's party, he did the only thing he could think of to do.

"_Well, hey you and your roommate or whoever should stop by my party later. I could introduce you to a few people. It should be a good time_." Dan tried hard to sound casual, but he was sure he failed miserably.

Emma didn't notice. She was too floored by the invitation to care how Dan's voice had strained slightly when he had asked. She couldn't believe her luck… she was going be attending a senior party.

Careful to not let her enthusiasm show too much, she replied "That sounds like fun. You should give me directions and I'll see if we can stop by."

Dan was surprised again by Emma's response, but gave in, giving her the direction to his apartment along with some other basic information. Emma thanked him for the call, and hung up with so little excitement in her voice that Dan wondered if she even going to come at all.

Now Dan knew that a lot could happen in three years. He himself was definite proof of that fact. But what he didn't know was that a lot had certainly happened to Emma West too, in his absence.

However, he was about to be pleasantly surprised by the fact once again.

* * *

(LENNIE)

I knew the phone call was bad from the beginning. Maybe it was the way Emma had looked at her blackberry as though it had sprouted ears when it started ringing or maybe it was the way her shoulders tensed up when she said hello. Either way, I knew it was not good.

When the flirty voice came out of her mouth and her shoulders relaxed, I still was nervous. Like I said, it was a gut feeling.

And when she hung up and danced around, I knew it was awful… because I had heard the word party mentioned several times.

"Ohmigod! Lennie!" she screamed grabbing me by the arms, "We are going to a partayyyy tonight!"

I pulled out of her reach and shook my head. "No thanks, Emma… I'm staying in tonight."

Emma face fell instantly. "But we don't even have school tomorrow. You are _supposed_ to party the first three days. That's why people come early. Didn't you do this last year?"

Lennie continued unpacking her last box, which was filled with random books and picture frames. "No. I don't party Emma. It's just not me."

Emma was clearly horrified, but I ignored it. My friends and I were here for an education, not to drink ourselves silly. My habits had paid off last year; not too many people could boast a 4.0.

"You haven't gone to a college party?"

I shook my head.

"_Ever?_"

"No." I replied so simply Emma looked completely flabbergasted.

"Well, you have to come with me. No arguments Lennie."

I sighed. My roommate last year had had the same viewpoint as me. I had never had to deal with this type of insistence.

"Emma I don't want to go."

"You don't have to drink, Lennie. Please come with me!" Emma made a huge show of getting down on her knees, and I was embarrassed for her.

"Oh where are we going?" came Marie's voice from the doorway. I looked up to see her and Kelsey entering through our open door.

Emma stood immediately, clearly glad to have back up. She beamed as she announced that she had been invited to a party by a senior. The word senior was strongly emphasized. Marie looked absolutely blissful, while Kelsey looked a little apprehensive.

"Oh my God! I have the perfect outfit to wear… is this guy hot?"

Emma wrinkled her nose. "Ew, no. He's one of my brother's best friends." She then brightened considerably and then said "I'm sure he has cute friends though."

Marie looked pleased, and even Kelsey was beginning to look excited. That was when I knew I was in serious trouble.

"You two have to help me convince Lennie to come," Emma then stated, looking to Kelsey and Marie.

Marie rolled her eyes. "Lennie, you have to go! Please! I'm sure we will have a lot of fun… "

Now here's the deal. I really didn't want to go. I had no desire to put make up on or get cute just so sloppy drunks could spill their drinks on me. It just doesn't appeal to me. But at the same time I knew that whether I went or not, Marie would probably do something stupid like drink too much or irritate the wrong person. It's just what Marie does. Responsibility means nothing to her.

So I caved into the three pleading glances. At least if I was there, I could watch Marie and make sure that she would get home safely. Something told me I would probably need to watch out for Emma too, mostly because of the way her eyes gleamed with excitement whenever she mentioned the word 'senior'.

So we were going. It set the other three girls into a whirlwind of discussion about what outfits they should wear, while I continued to unpack. It was surely going to be an interesting night.

* * *

AN: So that is that. Thank you for reading, as always. Hope you enjoyed and I hope it's pretty easy to identify who is that. The next chapter will bring us Maries pov and the party where we will meet tons of colorful people. Oh joy!

PS: You should probably review because I have gotten squat feedback for this story and I would be lying if I said I was unconcerned with this fact. Kthanks.


	3. Chapter 2: By the bright, shiny light

Jane Austen is a Badger

Chapter 2: By the bright shiny light

AN: The third installment. I am hoping for this to be a rather epic story... seeing as I am doing all of the Austen works that I can possibly squeeze in. So we should be in for a very long ride, but I promise to update as frequently as possible. Thanks to the reviewers thus far. Here's to hoping you enjoy.

* * *

(DAN KNIGHTLEY)

I was shocked. That's really the only way to describe it. When Emma West walked into my apartment flanked by three other girls, I think my jaw dropped a little.

Why?

I could easily enough remember those amazing legs; even when she was a mere freshman in high school, people had noticed them. But now they weren't the only thing that drew people's attention. Somewhere within the last three years, the girl had completely grown into a knock out. No wonder her brothers were concerned. She was god-damn beautiful.

And that was when I checked myself. _Easy Dan. She's way too young for you… and you're supposed to be keeping her from the guys with bad intentions… not turning into one of them. _

So I pulled it together and strolled over to greet her and her friends.

"Hey Emma," I smiled, probably way to big, struggling to keep my eyes on her face. Her brothers definitely would not have approved of her low-cut shirt and I knew that by extension, I shouldn't either.

"Hey Knightley," Emma said back with a cute little smile, something that I remembered quite well. "Quite the hopping party you have here." She looked surprised and I wondered if she had thought it was going to be lame.

It was quite hopping, the main room nearly packed to the brim with people of all shapes and sizes. Everyone seemed to be having a good time; a beer pong table that had been painted to resemble Camp Randall was set up in the middle of the room with a huge crowd gathered around it, and a separate, smaller table for flip cup was pushed against the west wall. Overall, it was the average college party scene, with blaring music that everyone was fighting to be heard over and the two kegs in the bathtub.

"What can I say? I'm the master," I returned with another smile.

She laughed, and began introducing me to her friends.

I soon learned that the cute blonde who couldn't stop smiling was Marie, the curvy girl who looked like she would rather be anywhere else was Lennie, and short, dark-haired girl was Kelsey. The three of them practically reeked of freshmen: Marie was way too overeager, Lennie was way too awkward, and Kelsey was seemingly terrified. Emma on the other hand seemed to know the right balance, and I couldn't help but wonder if maybe Ed and the rest of her brothers had pegged her wrong.

"Do you guys want a cup then?"

"Depends," Emma smirked, answering for all of her friends. "Are you going to charge four innocent freshmen?" She leaned forward slightly, the playful smile still on her lips and I couldn't help but smile back. The way she was leaning gave me a very nice view down her shirt.

And that was when I suddenly understood why her brothers wanted someone to watch out for her; because Emma West knew exactly what she was doing.

I smiled back, though I was careful not to give her the wrong impression. She was Ed's little sister. I would look out for her, but there was no way I was going down that road, even if she was suddenly beautiful.

"Yep," was my answer.

Emma was surprised her tactic hadn't worked but forked over a five in good spirit.

"Ah thank you," I said pocketing it. I then directed the other three. "Would you ladies like anything?"

Marie, of course, practically threw her five in my face. Kelsey was a little bit more hesitant about it, but eventually surrendered. Lennie, on the other hand, declined. I love the predictability of freshmen.

"Alright, let's get you girls those cups." They followed me through the maze of people, and in no time I had grabbed three plastic red cups from my roommate Evan and introduced all of the girls to him.

"Freshmen you say? All of you?" He questioned with a smirk.

"Regrettably, yes. Except Lennie," Emma answered.

"Regrettably?" Evan asked, shaking his head. "No, no. There are no such things as regrets… Emma right?"

"Right you are." The same smirk was on her mouth again and I wondered if maybe all of this was a bad idea after all.

But then, I rationalized... it was better that she was here, where I could at least keep an eye on her, rather than have her at "Ross's".

But realistically, sooner or later, she was going to be at a party where I wouldn't be present to be the "big brother". What then? Ed could only expect me to do so much.

"Well Emma, since this your first official college party and you are a beer pong virgin, we'll let you play after this game finishes up."

Emma's eyes lit up as she thanked Evan. "Who wants to be my partner?" she then asked casting a look in the direction of her friends. Marie, of course, volunteered first, although doing so earned her a nasty look from Kelsey.

Three games later, the girls were somehow still playing. I was amazed.

"Beginner's luck?" Evan asked me as we stood watching the two girls celebrate their most recent shot.

"I'm somehow doubting that either of them are virgins at this game," I responded.

Evan raised his eyebrows. "Emma's cute. She's Ed's sister?"

"Yeah. And off limits to you."

Evan laughed. "Believe me, I think I'm the only guy you _don't _have to worry about."

And I knew what he was talking about. Emma and Marie were drawing in quite a lot of attention. A lot of male attention.

And for the millionth time that night, I couldn't help but think that in agreeing to Ed's request, I had bitten off a bit more than I could chew.

* * *

(LENNIE)

So I was awkward. But I am okay with it. Heck, I have embraced it. So I am used to not being approached in social gatherings. So when Emma's friend's roommate started to make small talk, I wasn't quite sure how to take it.

Evan was decent looking, with huge blue eyes, but he wasn't nearly as attractive as Emma's friend. I found it funny that she had written him off before; I couldn't help but wonder if she had ever actually seen him. Apparently Marie had noticed his ridiculous good looks, because she was constantly making eyes at him. I was just glad I was there to make sure nothing went badly.

"So you're staying dry tonight?" Evan asked, startling me. I was standing at the side of the beer pong table, watching the girls play, trying to mentally calculate how much they had to drink so I knew when to stop them. I had no idea how long he had been standing beside me.

At first I was confused by his comment, and he must have realized, because he gestured to his drink.

"Oh," I said in realization. "Yeah, no drinks for me."

"Still hung over from last night?" He asked sympathetically. I considered answering yes just because I knew it would be easier to deal with rather than explain that I didn't drink. But in the end I told the truth… mostly because that's just what I do.

"No. I don't drink actually."

And Evan, rather than berate me for such a decision, just nodded his head in understanding. I was more than relieved; thank God someone wasn't pushy about it. I instantly felt about ten times more comfortable.

"So which dorm do you guys live in?" Evan asked.

"We live in Witte."

"Ouch. Those dorms are fucking tiny."

"I know tell me about. And I live with Emma. That girl has more shoes than any person I have ever met."

Evan laughed, but suddenly stiffened when two girls passed by us. They were both brunettes, and while one was pretty, the other was absolutely stunning, causing more than a few people to simply stare. She was ridiculous, and I wondered how on earth someone like that could be real. Her face was heart-shaped, without a single blemish, and her eyes were the most vivid green that I had ever seen. But her ultimate best feature, hands down, was her nose. It seemed to fit her perfectly, and I would be lying if I said that I was a little bit intimidated by her.

I was more than a little curious about Evan's reaction to her. Ex-girlfriend maybe? But I was never one to voice such personal questions, and despite my curiosity, I kept my wonderings to myself. Evan, whether he noticed my curiosity or he just wanted to get it off his chest, suddenly said, "I _can't believe_ she is here. I hate that girl."

I was definitely banking on ex-girlfriend. I remained silent.

"Do you know Darcy Williams?" He then asked me.

I shook my head. I assumed it was the gorgeous one that every girl and guy was peeping at out of the corner of their eyes.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a freshmen."

"Actually, I'm a sophomore. But I still don't know who she is."

"Ever heard of Claire Williams?"

I had… but I couldn't place it. Then it clicked. "As in the movie director?"

"That's the one… Darcy is her daughter. And thereby thinks she's God."

I still didn't completely understand the hatred. Obviously, I too didn't approve of people who thought they were better than others, but it still didn't seem to explain why Evan was so adament about it. It was almost as though he had been personally offended by her in some way.

Evan then turned his attention back to the game, which Marie and Emma were only a cup away from winning, but I decided to keep an eye on Darcy Williams. It was interesting because when she wasn't being dragged into some conversation by her friend, she was staring right at Evan… and when I say staring, I mean completely watching him. But she wasn't looking at him with any malice… in fact, the phrase "undressing with eyes" came to mind.

It was then that she caught me looking at her, and our eyes locked. And it was after she noticed my close proximity to Evan that her eyes turned to fire. I instantly looked away, a little afraid and very confused. I didn't even want to know what type of history those two had; the glare she had given me was nothing short of absolute jealousy.

* * *

(EMMA)

It was after our sixth game that I decided enough was enough. Marie was starting to get sloppy, and Lennie was shooting daggers at us. It was nice to have a motherly-figure and all, but I knew that what we really needed to do was get Lennie drunk off her ass. It obviously wasn't going to happen tonight, but it hadn't been that difficult to convince her to come tonight, so there would be other chances. And she seemed to be getting along with Evan just fine… I wondered if maybe, just maybe I could give them both a little push. I had a feeling that Lennie had never had a real relationship before.

Marie was stumbling slightly as we stepped away from the table.

"I want to dance… come on Em!" Marie said, grabbing my hand. She was surprisingly strong and practically carried me away. That is, until Knightley came to my rescue.

I still had a hard time believing that he was the same Knightley my brother had played video games with after school in our living room. Not only had he grown thicker (in a good way), but somehow the guy had become a hunk. A serious, gorgeous hunk. But don't get me wrong. It's not like I found him attractive… he would always be Ed's best friend… a sort of substitute brother, even though I had never really needed one, what with having four real ones.

"Is she going to be okay?" Knightley asked, gesturing to Marie,who was gradually getting worse. Lennie had of course shown up at her sister's side.

"I knew she was going to do this. You guys should have stopped when I told you to… after game four." Lennie's eyes were pitch black, and I was slightly afraid of her. Knightley looked like he was a little intmidated too, which was actually sort of comical.

"Oh Lennie," Marie slurred, "You just aren't any fun."

Lennie was clearly irritated by this comment, but let it go. "Lets get you some water, Marie."

"No."

"Marie…"

"NO! You are NOT mom."

I was too shocked to do much of anything. I could guess from Lennie's posture that this wasn't a normal occurrence. Knightley threw me a concerned look.

Marie stumbled off then, and Lennie made no motion to stop her. I wondered if I should, when I suddenly realized that I had no idea where Kelsey had gone to.

I frooze, doing a quick scan of the room. "Knightley, have you seen Kelsey? She had short, dark hair? Super small?"

Knightley sadly shook his head.

I could feel the alcohol begin to work its magic as the buzz flowed through my body, but I was too distressed now to fully enjoy it. Chances were that she was fine… but still…

"I'll help you find her… she's probably just in the bathroom or something," Knightley volunteered. I smiled my thanks.

Lennie then turned to me, "You find Kelsey, I'll get Marie, and then we're going home. No arguments."

Lennie's voice was so authoratative and commanding that I didn't even think to question it as I set off to find Kelsey. I tried calling her with my blackberry as Knightley headed off in the opposite direction.

* * *

(DARCY)

I was obviously uncomfortable. It was impossible not to be. Not only did I know that Evan hated me, I also knew that Dan wasn't too fond of me either. Have you ever been in someone's apartment when you aren't welcome? Because then you could identify with what I was feeling.

So why was I there? Because Carrie had dragged me there so she could see Dan. Because she was so in love with him, it was practically disgusting. The guy barely noticed her, something I found disturbing and worrisome all that same time. But Carrie was convinced that he would see the light soon. Until he realized that he was madly in love with her, I would be forced to go along with her to his stupid parties. Shoot me now please.

"I can't believe you made me come to this. If looks could kill, Evan would have just chopped off my head," I told Carrie as she ran her fingers nervously through her long brown hair.

"I don't know why you are always so worried about Evan… just ignore him."

"Easy for you to say. He doesn't send you death glares. And I think you are conveniently forgetting that this is his apartment and that he also hates me. That's slightly problematic."

"Seriously," Carrie said, "Chill. Do I look okay?"

I rolled my eyes. In all honesty, Carrie was stunning, but she would never believe me if I told her. Her dress was very short and very low-cut, and a deep blue color that set off her eyes. It was meant to be eye catching and the fabric slung to all the right parts of her body. It was a little bit more risqué than how she usually dressed, but it was easy to see why. She was sick of Dan pulling the friend card and wanted to show him just how friendly she really wanted to be with him.

"Yes Carrie. Seriously, if Dan doesn't make a move on you, he's an idiot."

And as if he seemed to hear his name mentioned, Dan caught my eye from across the room, gave a polite smile, and made his way toward us, slicing through the crowd.

"Hey Darcy, hey Carrie, glad you guys could make it. Do you need cups at all?"

I declined while Carrie asked, "Any chance you're handing out some harder stuff tonight?"

Dan smiled, and I thought Carrie might faint. "I've got some vodka in the freezer. I could definitely get some for you."

Carrie swooned and nodded, and Dan dashed off. She smiled excitedly, clearly seeing this as a good sign, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was just being nice.

He returned in no time with the bottle of Vodka for Carrie. "Don't finish it off though. I am not in the mood to clean up any puke."

Carrie laughed at the stupid joke, and while she continued her lame attempts at flirting with Dan, I found that I could not keep my eyes off of Evan Boston. It was annoying. I didn't even find him cute or good-looking, but there was just something about him that pulled me to him. I think it was his bright blue eyes. Either that or the fact that he was always laughing, always the life of the party.

And I hated it.

He also happened to hate just about everything that I did. All because I had made some stupid comment about him during our freshmen year and he had overheard me. Really, it was all stupid, but Evan Boston could hold on to a grudge longer than any person I had ever met; it had been two years. You would think that he would be over it by now, but he wasn't. Instead he rose to the challenge of contradicting and disagreeing with every statement that ever came out of my mouth. He was never actually _mean_, but just really sarcastic and snarky. I hated him. Truly.

But at the same time, I found him incredibly sexy.

And I would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about kissing him…

I would never admit it to anyone, not even Carrie, my best friend since the first grade. There were just things that you are meant to keep to yourself. I was sick of sneaking glances at him, sick of even thinking about him. I was about to brush Evan from my mind completely when I saw the girl who he had been talking to most of the night approach him, and make him laugh yet again. His laugh was loud and booming, but not in the way that screamed for everyone to look at him. It was musical and perfect. The two then shared a smile, as though they had a secret that only they knew.

I felt the jealousy rise, and before I even thought about what I was doing, I immediately demanded, "Carrie, who is that blonde girl? The one that Evan is talking to?"

I completely interrupted her and Dan's conversation, and both of them gave me really weird looks. They both then turned to get a look at the curvy blonde while I was feeling nothing short of mortification for my outburst. I shouldn't even _care_.

"Oh," Dan said, "That's Emma's roommate. Her name's Lennie. She's a sophomore."

He took a drink from his tacky plastic red cup and then gave me a pointed look. "Why so curious?"

"Oh, she just looks really familiar," I lied, as I looked anywhere but at his face. Dan just smirked, clearly getting the entirely wrong impression. I mentally kicked myself.

"Which one is Emma?" I then countered, eager to change the subject in any slight way.

"The red-head right there," Dan said gesturing to the girl playing beer-pong, and there was a certain fondness in his voice when he said it. I nodded, but didn't really pay attention though, because Evan was laughing yet again, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.

Carrie tried to continue her conversation with Dan, but his attention was elsewhere, and it wasn't hard to see where. The red-head, Emma, had just won another beer pong game with her partner, and Dan looked extremely worried.

"What's wrong?" Carrie asked him with concern.

"What? Oh, uh, it's just Emma. I think she may have had too much to drink." And with that, Dan left Carrie's side to go help the little red-head and her blonde friend, without so much as a look back.

Carrie was visibly crushed, and I tried my best at cheering her up.

"Don't worry about it, C, seriously. Let's put this vodka to use."

Carrie looked as though she was about to cry. "Who am I kidding, Darc? I'm wearing one of the sluttiest outfits known to mankind and Dan doesn't even flirt back. What the fuck am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Let's just go."

Even though it was what I had wanted all along, I now felt like a big jerk.

"Are you sure?" I asked gently.

Carrie nodded, while sending the oblivious redhead a dirty glare. "She looks about sixteen. Can you believe Dan would go for that?"

I couldn't, but it was rather clear that he was. He was standing over her, almost as though protectively shielding her from everything around her.

I also couldn't believe that Evan was into that Lennie girl. _She_ was good enough for him, but _I_ wasn't? I immediately scolded myself after the thought crossed my mind, knowing that I was being unfair and that it didn't matter because _he_ wasn't good enough for _me_ anyway.

But I didn't matter how many times I would tell myself that. The jealousy was already there. And it's not like it's something you can turn off, no matter how hard you try to ignore it.

We headed out, but before we left, Carrie handed the vodka bottle to a short, dark haired girl wearing designer clothes that impressed even me. "Happy Birthday," Carrie mumbled miserably shoving the bottle into the girl's hand. The girl looked as though Christmas had come early.

And with that, we were gone.

* * *

Kelsey had almost died with delight when the girl with tears in her eyes had shoved a bottle of vodka in her face. Beer was disgusting, and she would rather take pulls of the hard stuff any day. It did the job quicker anyway.

To make things better, the Vodka wasn't the cheap kind. Kelsey felt herself smile in spite of herself.

Kelsey was still a bit miffed that Emma had chosen Marie over her for beer pong, but she figured she had made out all right; she hadn't been asked for her number by any of the guys, but she had at least met a few new people which was probably more than the other three girls could say.

And now with the addition of Grey Goose, it was bound to be a much more pleasant night.

Before Kelsey could even put the bottle to good use, a thin girl with a plain face and messy curls approached her.

"Need someone to share that with?" the girl asked, looking as though she herself was indeed in need of a few shots.

Kelsey, knowing desperation when she saw it (mostly because she herself had it very often), knew this was a great opportunity to make a new friend.

She gave a nod, and the thin girl made her way to the cupboard, retrieving two shot glasses. Kelsey marveled at how she knew her way around the apartment.

"I'm Erin by the way," the tiny girl said, as she poured the shot, the glass resting on the counter.

"Kelsey."

Erin smiled. "You are a god-send Kelsey. I've just gotten the worst news of my life… I need this like you wouldn't even believe."

Kelsey was dying with curiosity, but Erin was already lifting up her shot glass. Kelsey quickly followed suit. "Cheers," Erin said dryly, and the two girls slammed the shots, going unnoticed by virtually everyone around them.

The alcohol immediately set Kelsey's throat on fire, and the flame continued all the way down to her stomach. It wasn't Kelsey's first time drinking; she had gone to a few parties back in high school and thereby knew her tolerance level very well. So when Erin asked "Another?" Kelsey nodded her agreement.

The second shot produce a sputtering cough from Erin, and the girl picked up an abandon soda to chase it down. Kelsey knew how stupid this was, but Erin was seemingly beyond caring.

"So who do you know here? It's Kelly right?" Erin asked, as she began pouring another round of shots.

"No, it's Kelsey… I'm here with Emma West. She knows Dan."

Erin smiled. "Oh sorry… Well, Dan is my cousin. So Kelsey, are you a freshmen?"

Kelsey's face visibly fell. "How did you know?"

"You are wearing a lanyard around your neck – it's a dead giveaway."

Kelsey had completely forgotten about her keys and was instantly embarrassed. "Oh wow. Now I am just embarrassed."

Erin laughed. "Take them off, put them in your pocket, and do another shot."

Kelsey did as she was told, and the third shot went down remarkably easier than the prior two, but she knew she would have to slow down. It would probably be a good idea for Erin to slow down too; the girl probably weighed less than 110 pounds, and if she wasn't careful, Kelsey could easily see Erin passed out within the next half hour.

Before she could make further conversation, (she particularly wanted to know the gory details of Erin's bad news), Emma appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey, Kels, we need to go. Marie is… getting out of hand."

Kelsey was annoyed, but went along with Emma after saying goodbye to Erin. She took the vodka bottle with her too, not trusting Erin alone with it, and followed the other three girls, with Emma and Lennie supporting a rather intoxicated version of Kelsey's roommate.

Somehow, Marie was even worse drunk than she was sober. Kelsey found her chatter and giggle intolerable, and tried to keep a good distance behind the rest of them. They all said goodbye to a worried-looking Knightley and voiced their thanks. And with that, the three girls left, their first official college party over and quite successful no matter which way one chose to look at it.


End file.
